SSB Law: Enforcement notices are hanging like 'Sword of Damocles', says Holly Lynch MP

Ms Lynch’s constituents were among hundreds of clients who instructed Sheffield firm SSB Law to run cavity wall insulation claims on their behalf, but the firm went into administration in January. Many clients say they are being pursued by lawyers representing the insulation firms’ insurance companies for thousands of pounds in incurred costs.

Ms Lynch, who praised The Yorkshire Post’s coverage of the scandal, said she was working with 20 constituents who had been affected. She said figures quoted by the BBC indicated that around 1,400 people could be affected nationwide.

"The Minister will see what a profound life-changing impact this scandal has had on people and is continuing to have. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is investigating SSB Law, which is welcome. The SRA advise that their investigation is expected to report in the autumn. So whilst we have had some success in managing to get some of the enforcement notices paused, they hang over constituents like the Sword of Damocles. I ask the Minister to help move this to a more permanent resolution. This all starts with cavity wall insulation but I am acutely aware that this scandal has grown tentacles into a number of different Government departments and policy areas.”

Ms Lynch asked Amanda Solloway, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to make representations to her colleagues to hold the insurers and law firms to account.

Ms Solloway said it was a “dreadful situation” for consumers to be in. She said the SRA is already working with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors looking into the conduct of the firm in question.

She added: “These are independent bodies of the Government and it would be inappropriate for my department or the Ministry of Justice to intervene.”

She said the Ministry of Justice would continue to closely engage with the SRA and the Legal Services Board to understand the action being taken and the timeframes for investigation. Ms Solloway added: “We will ask the SRA to consider how SSB Law were able to target these people as part of their ongoing investigation. The point has been made that this is an urgent matter for the households impacted and so I give my guarantee today that I will be writing to the Ministry of Justice on this matter asking them to encourage the SRA to accelerate the investigation for the homeowners affected as they deserve to have this addressed swiftly.”

The Yorkshire Post has made efforts to contact the former directors of SSB via the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the administrators. The directors did not respond to our requests for comment.